Dick Christian s Lecture. 361 



put right ; then he bolts up Adcock Lane, and kicks 

 my hat off my head. What work we had with him 

 to be sure ! Then we two tried him a lark across the 

 country to Belvoir ; at first he wouldn't face a 

 bulfinch a bit ; then he jumped through them just 

 like a balloon. How pleased the Captain was, to be 

 sure ! 



There was no finer man than Colonel Wyndham ; 

 few of the best of them could catch him for a mile, 

 for all his twenty stone. When they come to a gate 

 locked, he used to say, " I'll get my horse across it, 

 I'll smash it ;" and, my word, he did just. I've seen 

 them come to some tremendous great fence, and the 

 gentlemen would look about and say, " We're 

 stopped ; where's Wyndham .''" Up he'd come, and 

 smash it for them. What power he had ! he'd lift a 

 horse right up and over such places. And what a 

 clever man he was, too ! 



I mind Mr. Tomlin and me had to decide a fifty- 

 sovereign match, whether Lord Cardigan or Lord 

 Gardner was the best man in a run. It was from 

 Tilton Wood, and they were together over Burrow 

 Hills and Gartree Hill ; then they crossed a dirty 

 lane at top of Burton Lordship ; Lord Cardigan 

 jumped into a haystack place, and had to come 

 back into the lane ; Lord Gardner gained 200 

 yards there, and never lost it. The hounds ran 

 to Cream Gorse ; Mr. Moore was umpire ; he first 

 asked me, and then Tomlin, what we thought, 

 separate, and then he said, " Well, Gardner, they're 

 both in your favour." What a pity it was Lord 

 Cardigan got into that haystack place ! The hounds 

 didn't kill for six miles after that, but neither of them 

 made a mistake. 



I walk twelve stone — I always did' — but I've ridden 

 many a steeple-chase at twelve stone. I once rode 

 one here in a four-pound saddle, but I didn't try 

 that game twice. I'm a good un to waste ; you 



